Mark Butcher: “Shadab’s been bowling kind of hit me [deliveries] for a long, long time now”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former England batsman Mark Butcher has voiced his frustration at Shadab Khan as he believes the first-choice Pakistan spinner has been bowling “hit me [deliveries]” for too long.
Shadab’s inability to take wickets regularly has been a problem the men in green have been dealing with for a couple of months now.
The issue has persisted in the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, where the 25-year-old from Mianwali has claimed two wickets in five matches at an average of 90 and an economy rate of 6.42.
Butcher noted that if Shadab wants to continue being Pakistan’s go-to spinner in limited overs cricket, he has to start having more of an impact as soon as possible.
“Shadab’s been bowling kind of hit me [deliveries] for a long, long time now,” he was quoted as saying by Geo Super.
Pakistan started their World Cup campaign on a high as they beat the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before faltering against India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
Despite facing the prospect of being eliminated, the men in green managed to keep themselves in the race for a semi-final spot with wins over Bangladesh and New Zealand.
Next up for them will be a clash against England on November 11 in Kolkata.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali
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